basketball had caught fire, and the soviet union tried to crush all of the culture, the language, the religion, singing, dancing, anything that was lit wanian, but they couldn't crush basketball. during the darkest times during that 50-year occupation, lit wanians looked up to the athletes. they didn't have lithuania on their chest. they looked to them for inspirgs and it was a source of pride. many sent to siberia set up basketball kouts there. it let them do something they felt was lit wanian and gave them a will to live out there. >> this is a real deep story and meant a lot to you obviously. is it that is right you're part lit wanian or ultimate underdog story or something else in this for you? >> i remember -- >> it's his favorite thing. >> i can remember all the family holiday. my fathers and uncles played basketball in the town park. in the early '90s they wore the lithuan lithuanii lithuaniian tie-dye t-shirts. this summer i'm watching the olympics and the u.s. dream team bowl over everybody. i have the tv on a saturday morning and watching the u.s. play l play lithuania. it's still cl